Maple Old Fashioned
This maple old fashioned is a seasonal twist on the classic bourbon cocktail. It's everything you love about a traditional old fashioned with a hint of maple flavor. It's an easy recipe, and it takes just 5 minutes to make!
For more classic cocktails with a twist, also try our coffee negroni or tequila negroni.
If you love the classic spirit-forward taste of an old fashioned cocktail, you're going to love this version that swaps sugar or simple syrup for real maple syrup. It's characteristically bitter, slightly spicy, and perfectly nuanced with maple flavor.
This maple old fashioned recipe couldn't be easier to make, either. Simply stir the ingredients together in a rocks glass, add a large ice cube, and garnish it with some orange peel or maraschino cherries.
It's a well-balanced drink with a festive feel that's perfect for fall dinner parties, holidays, or cozy nights by the fire.
Maple old fashioned ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients and a rocks glass to make this flavorful fall cocktail. Here's everything you need:
- Bourbon – bourbon has a bit of a sweeter, smoother taste than other types of whiskey. Its caramel and vanilla flavors are a perfect match with the maple syrup. Since it's a boozy drink, you won't regret using good-quality bourbon.
- Maple syrup – only the real thing will do here, so look for pure maple syrup. It adds just the right amount of sweetness and maple flavor.
- Angostura bitters – bitters offer drinks complexity and depth of flavor. Angostura bitters have a slightly spicy taste with hints of cinnamon and clove. You can find it in the drinks section of most grocery stores. You can also use orange bitters for a twist.
- Orange peel and maraschino cherries – while the cherries are a garnish, the orange peel adds a wonderful scent and flavor to the drink.
How to make a maple syrup old fashioned
There's nothing complicated about a maple old fashioned. We simply swap the sugar for maple syrup, pour the ingredients into a glass, and stir. Let's make it!
- Grab your rocks glass, and add the bourbon, maple syrup, and bitters. Give it all a stir.
- Carefully drop in a large ice cube and then garnish it with some orange peel and/or maraschino cherries. That's it!
Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.
FAQS
Yep, in a pinch, you can use 3-4 regular ice cubes rather than one large one.
We find that it's tricky to properly mix the maple syrup into the bourbon when there's a large ice cube in the glass, which is why we add it last.
If you're throwing a party and want to save time, you can stir together the bourbon, maple syrup, and bitters in a pitcher. Then when you're ready to serve, all you have to do is pour it over ice and garnish.
Yes! Rye is slightly less sweet than bourbon but works well in this classic cocktail, too.
When to serve a maple old fashioned
We love the taste of maple so much that this is our favorite way to make an old fashioned cocktail. Being a refined sugar-free cocktail, we tend to think it's slightly healthier, too.
It's a versatile drink you can serve anytime you would serve a classic old fashioned. It makes a festive welcome cocktail for fall dinner parties, special occasions like Thanksgiving or Christmas, or as a nightcap by the fire after a delicious meal.
More bourbon cocktail recipes
Maple Old Fashioned
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Ingredients
- 2 ounces bourbon
- ¼ ounce maple syrup
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Orange peel and maraschino cherry, to garnish
Instructions
- Add the bourbon, maple syrup, and Angostura bitters to a rocks glass and stir.2 ounces bourbon, ¼ ounce maple syrup, 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Carefully drop in a single large ice cube. Garnish with a strip of orange peel and a maraschino cherry.
